How To: 1944 Chev HUW restoration

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Was the wireless set in the HUW demountable for use as a ground station ? Along with the chorehorse and batteries which would have been set up on the ground ? Did the HUW carry the golf bag 34ft mast kit and the long range wire antennas ?

Yes, the 19 set was 'quick release' in two ways. If it was on the No.23 wooden board (the HUW also used the British HP set and Canadian Amplified 19...both not all that portable) it could be slid off its No. 1 rails and carried off to a trench. Alternatively the entire table with the radio and Charging Switchboard No.5 could be removed, as could the seats (all three) and battery trays, so completely portable. Everything was clamped to the floor with 5/16 threaded nuts capped with the same cast wheels used for the CMP windshield arms. The generator was on a metal tray that slid into rails in its cabinet, so again portable.

The wiring. The truck was 6 volts, and the back running its own 12 volt system completely independent of the truck. On the left side, screwed to the forward face of the generator cabinet was a switch box that connected the generator to either the battery sets or the radio and was used when the 19 set was in the truck. If removed, the same switching was accomplished by that No.5 Switchboard under the wireless table.

There is provision to mount a 20' or 34' telescoping mast on the outside right, its base on the running board and clamped up near the roof. There is also straps on the inside top tight that may take one of these masts but I think was a leftover from the 11 set.

[Mike K]

OK the HUW crew members would have been busy lifting all of that heavy equipment in/out .

The British No.9 set was also setup as a ground station as seen in this film.
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C189873

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Dutch C8A HUW "CZ 4210417" set up as a radio post at Longues sur Mer, Normandy, June 2004. Not sure if this is an accurate display, but it gives an idea.

3E114119-5413-40DE-916D-7AA9BE2B6A66.jpeg

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Dutch C8A HUW "CZ 4210417" set up as a radio post at Longues sur Mer, Normandy, June 2004. Not sure if this is an accurate display, but it gives an idea.

Attachment 125117

Thanks Hanno, a nice pic that illustrates a HUW very well in a static position with the telescopic masts erected, a very impressive display. Four masts is a little overkill as there would usually be one serving as a radiating element or two to support a horizontal wire dipole aerial.

I think I may have corresponded with the owner of this truck many years ago and received some very helpful information.

[David Dunlop]

Hi Bruce.

I think you and Hanno are right.

This display was probably set up in a designated area at the event in question, for people with ‘wireless stuff’, with focus on DISPLAY, not ‘PROPER WIRELESS PRACTICE’.

If you look at the two right hand mast assemblies closely, both are configured as vertical radiators with the A-Set whips fitted to the tops of the masts. They are also sharing guy wire stakes directly behind the motorcycle, by the looks of it, placing the masts too close to one another for good working, particularly if one mast was connected to a more powerful transmitter than was using the other mast.

The right hand mast is probably related to the right hand tent and if the HUP pulled away for a moment, we would probably see yet another display setup of some form.

Nice display of various wireless setups never the less.

David

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

I began the front end today. It will require general straightening, a few patches and a number of captive nuts need to be replaced (while I can reach behind to do it). A few are going to cause trouble and as a last resort I may weld the holes shut then re-tap.

Also, some ugliness inside the outer windshield posts. I figured they would be full of rust and sand and they were. Getting rid of the rust and new skin should fix things up.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Silence doesn't mean no progress (well, sometimes it does). We had a very hot summer that made working on the HUW ***painful*** and the wife does demand her share of me.

Anyway, I went through with a clipboard determining every nut and bolt I required (which Facca Fasteners more than ably provided) and have been tinkering away. What I thought was a few days to clean up and re-tap all the holes in the cab turned into two weeks. Every single hole is a captive nut and every single one was broken or cut off. Even though it doesn't look like much I'm happy to say every single captive nut has been replaced and is now able to accept the seats, filler panels and front cowl.

Not in the pic but completed is the brush guard. I had a 15cwt one but it had to be adjusted to fit the smaller HUW.

Plans before the snow flies is to prime and paint (at least the engine compartment) ready for the engine back from the shop, and to use all that new hardware to bolt on all the pretties.